The present invention is directed toward the combination of an electrophysiology catheter and cable and more particularly, toward a cable permanently secured to the catheter where the cable is in a folded ribbon configuration until it is ready to be used.
Electrophysiology catheters are well known in the art and have been manufactured by a number of companies over the last thirty years or more. These catheters are designed with one or more electrodes at the distal end of the catheter and are generally independently wired so that each electrode will have an independent connector at the proximal end of the catheter. Alternatively, each of the electrodes may have its own conducting wire end in one multi-pin connector. In the latter case, the connector is designed to connect to a connecting cable which then has independent connectors at its opposite end. Most of these catheters connect to hardware devices that are some distance from the patient in which the catheter is used, so the connecting cable is necessary.
There are many shortcomings in using a connecting cable. For example, the cables are not generic, i.e., each catheter manufacturer has its own cable. Each type of catheter, such as a four-pin or a ten-pin will have a different cable. Therefore, if a manufacturer has three different catheters, it also has three different connecting cables. If it is anticipated that the physician will use two of the same catheter in one procedure, then two of each cable are necessary. If there are two procedures being performed in one day, the number of cables could again double because all of the cables must be sterile. If a facility uses several manufacturers with several catheters, it is not inconceivable to have fifty or sixty cables in inventory. These cables are expensive and bulky and each must be sterilized before each use.
The present invention is directed toward the elimination of separate connecting cables used on electrophysiology catheters by permanently fixing a cable onto the catheter. The cable is thin, yet flexible, non-bulky, and noise-free so the physician can still manipulate, torque, and turn the catheter without the interference of a bulky tail fixed to the catheter. Furthermore, the catheter and cable combination is used once and disposed of.